Welt-type wedge-heel shoe construction



April 25, 1950 J; J, JCKEY 2,505,672

WELT-TYPE, WEDGE-HEEU 'SHOE CONISTRUCTION Filed Dec. 17, 1945 atented Apr. 25, 1950 WELT-TYPE WEDGlE-HEEL SHOE CONSTRUCTION .lames J. Hickey, Binghamton, N. Y.; Stella M. Hickey administratrix of said James J. Hickey,

deceased Application December 17, 1945, Serial No. 635,513

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe construction and more particularly to welt-constructed shoes of the so-called wedge heel type.

Among the objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a highly flexible welt-constructed shoe incorporating a wedge or platform heel, i. e. a heel shaped as a wedge which extends forwardly of the heel portion proper under the shank or arch portion of the shoe; the provision of a welted wedge-heel shoe which is so constructed that the wedge-heel may be fabricated as a complete unit and applied as such to the insole on which the shoe is built; and the provision of a welted, wedge-heel shoe construction permitting a wide variety in the styling of shoes of the sling-back type and particularly in the disposition and connection of the heel sling.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the following analysis of this invention wherein are illustrated in detail selected embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of a completed shoe in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

4 is a detail in section illustrating the lasting of the upper to the insole.

Referring to the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 illustrates one form of shoe construction according to this invention, and which is characterized by a counter which is lapped rearwardly over the heel Wedge or platform to provide a heel sling, reference character i designates a full insole (functioning as an intermediate sole in the nal shoe) of any appropriate type conventionally used in the manufacture of welt shoes and which is provided with an underface shoulder or rib Il (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) which extends all around the insole. It will be observed here that the insole is supplied with a full edge binding, or by a preliminary operation is fully edge-bound to start with, the binding or trimming being indicated at i2. To the upper face of the insole heel seat is secured a complete, i. e. finally covered, heel unit generally designated I3, such consisting of a wooden heel wedge Irl having a heel portion proper and a forwardly sloped portion which eX- tends underneath the shank portion of the shoe and generally to the ball line of the sole thereof, and of a heel covering l5 (Fig. 2) secured to the wooden wedge by adhesive or tacking. The complete heel unit, i. e. the wooden Wedge and its (Cl. 23S-11.5)

covering, may be cemented to the upper face of the insole, with additional securement being provided by nails or tacks, if such is considered advisable.

The insole and applied heel unit is next secured to the bottom of a suitable last, and a shortened upper I6 is lasted to the insole rib l l by any one of the usual lasting procedures, this resulting in securement of upper to insole as seen in Fig. 4. In the form of shoe under description, it will be observed that the upper is devoid of the usual heel or counter portion, and 'that the shank portions of the upper are extended rearwardly to provide anchorage for strap portons Ilia, Ib which extend rearwardly around the heel of the foot as a heel sling by which the shoe is secured to the foot and whereby the heel Wedge is exposed to view.

The lasting of the upper I6 having been completed, the shoe is now ready for welting. In this operation. a welt 2G (Figs. 2 and 3) is secured all around to the insole rib by stitching 9.2 in a Good year in-seaming machine, for example, so as to underlie the marginal edge of the insole, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The stitching 22 also finally secures the previously lasted upper to the insole. The insole is then bottom-filled with a suitable iilling material such as cork and a binder, to provide a flat surface for the outsole, and may also be top-filled and a slip sole disposed over the top filling, as shown in Fig, 3. In a iinal operation, the outsole 24 is secured to the welt 20 by Goodyear or other type of welt stitching 26.

The linal shoe shown in Fig. l is thus provided with a full welt sole and hence is flexible and comfortable in wear. Due to the secureiment of the upper to the underface rib of the insole and to the extension of the upper to form a heel sling which partially overlaps the wedge heel attached to the upper face of the insole, a unique styling of the shoe is achieved. Moreover, in the method of shoe construction described, economies are present over the prior methods of wedge heel shoe construction by reason of the fact that the invention proceeds from the use of a fully covered wedge heel unit and a fully bound insole unit. Hence, covering of the wooden wedge and binding or covering of the insole is not necessary in the later operations.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the alcove constructions Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall 3 be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Y

I claim:

1. A shoe including a bound insole provided with an underface rib extending all around, a covered wedge-heel secured to the upper face of the heel and shank portions of the insole, a welt extending all around said insole and sewed to the underface rib thereof so as to underlie the marginal edge of said insole, and an outsole sewed to said welt.

2. A shoe comprising a bound insole provided with an underface rib extending all around, a covered wedge-heel secured to the upper face of the heel and shank portions of the insole, an upper lasted to said rib, a welt extending all around said insole and being secured by stitching to the rib so as to underlie the marginal edge of said insole and the lasting margins of the upper, said stitching also securingthe upper, and an outsole sewed to said welt, said upper extending rearwardly over the covered wedge-heel and providlng means for attachment of a heel sling.

3. A shoe of the wedge heel type having an outsole extending from the toe to the heel thereof, an intermediate sole disposed over said outsole and of thesame shape as the latter and having a covered edge portion, a wedge heel disposed over said intermediate sole and extending approximately to the ball line and being provided .with a covered edge portion, a shortenedxupper `lastedover said intermediate sole and positioned between said outsole and said intermediate sole rearwardly a substantial distance .back of the forvto view, and a slip sole disposed over said intermediate sole.

fil

4. A shoe of the wedge heel type having an outsole extending from the toe to the heel thereof, an intermediate sole disposed over said outsole and of the same shape as the latter and having a covered edge portion, a wedge heel disposed over said intermediate sole and extending approximately to the ball line and beingprovided with a covered edge portion, a shortened upper lasted over said intermediate sole and positioned between said outsole and said intermediate sole rearwardly a substantial distance back of the forward end of the heel wedge and having an open rear portion whereby the heel wedge is exposed to view, a heel strap on the rear of said shortened upper, and a slip sole disposed over said intermediate sole.

JAMES J. HICKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,631,919 Cristallini June 7, 1927 2,031,510 Stewart Feb. 18, 1936 A2,074,579 Fesl Mar. 23, 1937 2,212,613 Messina Aug. 27, 1940 2,230,504 Rudner Feb. 4, 1941 v2,235,087 Smith 1 Mar. 18, 1941 2,352,098 Hess` June 20, 1944 2,378,074 Ferriero June 12, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,757 Great Britain May 20, 1886 471,135 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1936 

